Support Staff

Support staff work in many important and often multiple roles in a school. In this section you can learn about the type of roles support staff typically fulfill, and where to find more information about training and development opportunities.

Higher Level Teaching Assistants

Higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) work in the school alongside the teacher, providing valuable support at a high level for teaching and learning activities. HLTAs work right across the curriculum, acting as specialist assistants for a specific subject or department or helping to plan lessons and develop support materials.

Learning support

Learning support staff work with teachers in the classroom, helping pupils progress with their learning. They include teaching assistants and higher level teaching assistants.

Administrative staff

Administrative staff provide a range of essential administrative services for the whole school.

Specialist and technical staff

Specialist technicians and assistants are on hand in schools to provide valuable technical support and resources that support teaching and learning.

Mid-day Supervisory Assistants (MSA’s)

Mid-day Supervisory Assistants are members of a team who supervise children during the lunchtime period in schools.

National occupational standards

National occupational standards are statements of competence describing good practice, and are written to measure performance outcomes. Essentially they describe what people need to be able to do, as well as what they must know and understand for their work.

All accredited vocational qualifications are based on or directly derived from national occupational standards for the relevant area of work, where they exist. For more information on NOS please see TDA website: www.tda.gov.uk

Qualifications Credit Framework

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new framework for recognising and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The QCF will make units and qualifications easier to understand, more relevant to the needs of employers and more flexible and accessible to learners. The QCF will enable learners to build up credits at their own pace and combine units in a way that will support them in developing a lifelong learning and career progression that is applicable right across the children's workforce. More information can be found on the CWDC website: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk

Training Courses

The Workforce Development Unit website holds information on a variety of training courses relevant for support staff. For more information please access the training area of this website.

Where to go for further advice, support and information?

For information or advice on the above or personal development opportunities available please contact:

Family Information Service

Adult, Children and Education
Mill House
North Street
YORK
YO1 6JD
email: fis@york.gov.uk
Tel: 01904 554444